Greenhouse gases: embodied carbon building materials.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide information on what happens after lower-carbon materials reach cost parity.

Greenhouse Gases: Building Materials with Lower Carbon

This law requires the State Air Resources Board to check if building materials that have less carbon cost the same as regular ones before making rules about them. If they don't, the board can delay those rules for up to ten years.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the State Air Resources Board to decide whether lower-carbon building materials are equally priced with normal ones.
• If lower-carbon materials cost more, the board must wait at least five years before making new rules about them.
• The board can keep checking and delaying for up to ten years total until lower-carbon materials match in price.

Who It Names or Affects

• State Air Resources Board
• Building material manufacturers and sellers

Terms To Know

Embodied Carbon

The amount of carbon dioxide that is produced during the making, transporting, and using up of building materials.

Cost Parity

When two things cost about the same amount of money.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify what happens if lower-carbon materials never reach cost parity.
• The exact timing and conditions for implementing new rules are unclear until further determinations by the State Air Resources Board.

Official Summary Text

AB 1704, as amended, Mark González.
Greenhouse gases: embodied carbon building materials.
Existing law requires, by December 31, 2026, the State Air Resources Board, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, as provided, to develop a framework for measuring the average carbon intensity of the materials used in the construction of new buildings, including those for residential uses. Existing law requires, by December 31, 2028, the state board to develop a comprehensive strategy for the state’s building sector to achieve a 40% net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of building materials, as specified, as soon as possible, but no later than December 31, 2035. Existing law authorizes the state board to establish an embodied carbon trading system, as defined, in compliance with these requirements, as provided.
This bill would require the state board to determine whether the cost of building materials with lower embodied carbon have
reached cost parity with conventional building materials before implementing the above-described provisions. If the state board determines that building materials with lower embodied carbon have not reached cost parity with conventional building materials, the bill would require the state board to delay or suspend, as applicable, implementation of those provisions for not less than 5
years. The bill would authorize the state board to continue to make that determination and delay or suspend those provisions for not less than 5 years until the state board determines that building materials with lower embodied carbon have reached cost parity with conventional building materials, at which time the bill would require the state board to implement those provisions. The bill also would make conforming changes.
years, not to exceed 10 years in total.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF